The Bangla Academy Literary Awardee and an Eminent Poet, Helal Hafiz dies at 76

Helal Hafiz, the notable Bangladeshi poet was born on October 7, 1948 in East Bengal. His passion towards literature and writing whittled him into an eminent writer and poet in the Bengali language. He was the alma mater of Netrokona Datta High School, Netrokona college and University of Dhaka. 

Notable Works of Helal Hafiz

• Je Jole Agun Jwale (Water that burns fire) – 1986

It was the first collection of his poems which became a best-selling Bengali book.

• Nishiddha Sampadakiya (The Banned Editorial) – 1990
• Kobita Ekattor (Poems Seventy one) – 2012
• Achol Premer Poddo (Poetry of Unmoving Love) – 2012
• Bedonake Bolechi Kedo Na (I Told My pain not to cry) – 2019
• Aj Kobitar Jonsobha (Today’s Poetry Assembly)

He had received one of the prestigious awards of Bangla Literature “Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2013 for his poetry collections.

Sudden Demise of Literary Icon

The famous Bangladeshi poet Helal Hafiz died at 76 on December 13, 2024. It is reported that the veteran literary icon fell in his bathroom around 2.30 am and he was taken to the hospital by his neighbors. There, he was declared dead by the doctors of BSMMU (Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University) hospital. The late poet Hafiz had been suffering from various physical ailments which included glaucoma, kidney issues and diabetes.

Helal Hafiz had always been a private person regarding his personal life. In one of his interviews to The Daily Star he revealed that, 

“I like being alone. I have been alone all my life. Many people have offered to come stay with me while I recover, but there is no room for another person right now”.